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FAQs

As I’ve told you in my About page, I’m just some guy who likes to write about stuff. If you don’t know me personally, check out the blog, the about page, my Twitter feed. I’m pretty much an open book.

What kind of education do you have?

I have a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from the University of Texas at El Paso. After working a couple of years as a lab tech (or med tech), I decided to go back to school and pursue a master’s degree. I took a couple of classes toward a master’s in biomedical sciences at a small college in Maryland. I didn’t particularly like what I’d be doing with that degree, so I looked around for other degrees that would interest me.

Friends and colleagues suggested that I study epidemiology and work toward a master of public health degree. I worked full-time overnights and evenings and took classes part-time at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. I earned my master of public health degree (aka “MPH”) in 2007. (Officially 2006, but I presented my capstone project in February 2007). With that MPH in hand, I worked at a state health department for six years as the influenza surveillance coordinator and infectious disease epidemiologist.

After six years at the health department, I applied to the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and was admitted on my second try. So I am currently working toward a doctoral degree in public health.

Why should I care what you write?

You should not care about what I write. In fact, if you don’t like it, you are more that free to go read something else. Liking or disliking what I write — or caring about it — is not a prerequisite for your personal happiness. So go on, care or don’t care. I don’t care about you caring, or not caring.

How do we know you’re not lying?

I take the academic approach to writing. If it’s a story of my personal life, then there really is no way to cite my sources. You’d have to track down the people I’m writing about and ask them if the story I told is true. On the other hand, if I am writing about something related to science, technology, current affairs, etc., then I will do my best to cite my sources. They’ll be hyperlinked so you can click on those links and go see the source of my information.

Are you a Pharma shill?

No, I am not. I make no money, nor do I receive it, from any pharmaceutical company or product. I wish I were that lucky… Have you seen the cars that some of those pharma reps drive?

Are you an illegal alien?

No, I am not. I’m a US citizen.

But you were an illegal at some point, right?

No. My parents got me the necessary documents to enter the country at a very, very young age.